Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Sustainable Farming Incentive

Thursday 19 March 2026 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister met with farmers in Buckingham and Bletchley to discuss the Sustainable Farming Incentive and other issues.
  • Government extended expiring mid-tier agreements to address concerns about potential gaps in support.
  • Secretary of State committed to investigating solutions to ensure continuity of support for farmers transitioning to the new SFI 2026 window.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Callum Anderson Lab Buckingham and Bletchley
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is a major policy for farmers to transition towards more sustainable practices. The programme has faced criticism regarding its complexity and accessibility, particularly concerning small farms.

Question

I am concerned about the steps being taken to reform the SFI so that it can support smaller farms better and ensure continuity of funding for those with expiring agreements in 2023 or countryside stewardship mid-tier agreements. What specific measures are being implemented?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

I met with farmers in Buckingham and Bletchley for a rural summit where we discussed SFI and other issues. The Government extended expiring mid-tier agreements at the end of last year, addressing farmer concerns about any potential gap in support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures to ensure continuity of funding were not detailed.

How: Looking To See What We Can Do

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Q2 Callum Anderson Lab Buckingham and Bletchley
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Farmers with SFI 2023 and countryside stewardship mid-tier agreements are concerned about support gaps as their current agreements expire. This issue is particularly pressing for farmers in Buckinghamshire.

Question

Can the Secretary of State provide specific steps taken to ensure continuity of support for farmers transitioning from expiring agreements to the new SFI 2026 window?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

Farmers in different parts of the country, including Buckinghamshire, are concerned about gaps in their support as mid-tier agreements expire towards the end of the year. We are looking into how we can address this issue to ensure continuity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Concrete steps were not provided.

How: Looking To See What We Can Do

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Q3 Julian Smith Con Skipton and Ripon
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Farmers in Skipton and Ripon are facing uncertainty due to the transition from mid-tier agreements to the new SFI 2026 window, with concerns over support continuity. This issue is critical for farmers in North Yorkshire.

Question

Given that many farmers have recently signed mid-tier agreements but will not be eligible for the new SFI until September, can the Secretary of State commit to finding a solution to prevent any gap in their support?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

Farmers in Skipton and Ripon, like others across the country, are concerned about gaps in their support as they move from mid-tier agreements towards the new SFI window. We are looking into what we can do to address these issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Concrete steps were not provided.

How: Looking To See What We Can Do

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Q4 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The roll-out of the new SFI scheme faces criticism due to lower payment rates, a £100,000 cap, and exclusion of upland farmers. This has led to significant concerns among farmers regarding costs, risks, and rewards.

Question

Given that the Government is rolling out the new SFI scheme this summer with lower payment rates and an exclusion for some farmers, how will they ensure effective delivery? What response do you have for farmers who say it creates more cost, risk, and less reward?

Answer from Emma Reynolds

The SFI is being simplified to make it easier and less costly to administer. We have a record number of farmers in our schemes compared to previous Governments who failed to get funding out quickly.

Not addressed: Did not address specific concerns about costs, risks, and rewards; instead defended the scheme.

How: Respectedly Disagreeing With Criticism

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